Psychology and Applied Gerontology, Bachelor’s/Master’s Combined Program

Program Prerequisites and Admission Requirements

• Admission to the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts as a B.A. in Psychology student
• Minimum GPA: 3.0
• At least 75 completed undergraduate credit hours prior to starting graduate courses
• Completion of the application found at https://uncw.edu/academics/majors-programs/chhs/applied-gerontology-ms/details/
• One letter of recommendation from a faculty member with whom the student has taken a 300 or 400-level course
• Cover letter describing interest in the program and career goals related to gerontology
• Unofficial UNCW transcript

The combined program will benefit students by:

• providing invaluable knowledge and experience working with older adults
• allowing 12 graduate credits to satisfy undergraduate and graduate requirements
• reducing costs of earning a master’s degree as graduate courses completed by undergraduate students are billed at undergraduate tuition rates

Curriculum

Students must meet all the requirements for the B.A. in Psychology.  Students may count 12 credits of 500-level courses in the MGRN curriculum toward requirements for their undergraduate program of study. The courses available are:

• GRN 501 - Aging and Society Credit Hours: 3
• GRN 503 - Investigative Inquiry in Gerontology Credit Hours: 3
• GRN 525 - Health and Aging Credit Hours: 3
• PSY 524 - The Psychology of Aging Credit Hours: 3

For students who are admitted to the MGRN program:

Remaining requirements to complete that degree can be found at: https://uncw.edu/academics/majors-programs/chhs/applied-gerontology-ms/details/

Timeline

• Once students are enrolled in the Psychology major and are completing their 75^th credit hour, they can apply for admission into the 4+1 combined program.
• After completing at least 75 undergraduate credit hours, those admitted to the 4+1 program can enroll in the 12 designated graduate courses.
• Students who successfully complete the 12 500-level credits and all remaining Psychology degree requirements are awarded a B.A. in Psychology.
• In the final semester of their bachelor’s program, students may apply to the MGRN program for summer or fall admission. Applicants must meet all Graduate School admissions requirements and submit their application by the stated deadline. Admission to the 4+1 combined program does not guarantee admission to the MGRN program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree.
• If admitted to the MGRN, the 12 credits earned at the 500-level will count toward the degree requirements of the M.S. in Applied Gerontology degree.
• The following schedule details the progression to completion of the master’s degree in one year (note that only one of the two summer terms is required):

• Students who do not go on to the M.S. in Applied Gerontology program may apply for admission to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gerontology and have the 12 credits earned at the 500-level count toward the degree requirements of the Certificate.